Chapter 80: Chapter 80
"Wait a damn minute. What picture? What party?"
Christian’s brow furrowed, his inner wolf growling low in his chest at the sudden spike of agitation in the room.
He ran through his memory, trying to pinpoint any recent event where the paparazzi could have caught him. It was absurd. Since the universe had finally dropped this breathtaking, fierce goddess of a mate directly into his path, he hadn’t set foot near a social gathering. His beast had no interest in anyone but her.
Then, the realization hit him like a physical blow. Sylvia’s charity gala.
That had to be it. Carrie must have cornered him there, trying to force a conversation while some hidden lens snapped the shot. He had completely iced the woman out, but the media didn’t care about the truth; they only cared about a scandalous headline.
Fury, hot and primal, surged through his veins. How dare these human parasites broadcast his private life? How dare they link his name to that stupid female just for public amusement?
His wolf bared its teeth at the disrespect. Every single tabloid, news outlet, and magazine that ran the photo without his explicit consent was going to burn for this. He would ruin them financially by morning.
"Baby," Christian murmured, his tone shifting from corporate ruthlessness to absolute reverence. He cupped her flushed, furious face in his broad palm, tilting her head up so she had no choice but to drown in the absolute sincerity of his gaze.
The moment their eyes locked, he lost his train of thought.
Goddes, she was magnificent. The mate bond thrummed violently beneath his skin, making it feel entirely surreal that someone could look this breathtakingly beautiful while radiating pure wrath.
He found himself hopelessly trapped in the depths of her eyes. But when she narrowed them dangerously, the silent challenge snapped him right out of his trance.
"I swear to you, it’s a complete fabrication," he pleaded, a rare note of desperation cracking his usually flawless facade.
He needed her to believe him. The truth was, his heart and his wolf had belonged to only one woman since the day he married Odette. Even during the dark years when she was torn from him and he was left living in a wasteland of memories, he had never touched another.
"I don’t believe a single word coming out of your mouth, you pervert," Fleur spat, her teeth gritted as she tried to pull away from his intoxicating warmth.
A dark, possessive thrill shot through Christian. He had to bite back a smug smile. His wolf was practically howling with triumph at her fury.
She was jealous. The mere thought of another female in his space had her claws coming out, and he found her territorial streak absolutely intoxicating. Still, he knew she was too prideful to admit it out loud.
Then, a chilling thought crossed his mind. Was this burning jealousy the real reason she had suddenly entertained Raphael Dumas’ marriage proposal? To hurt him back?
"I’ll gladly admit to being a pervert," Christian whispered, leaning down to tenderly brush the tip of his nose against hers, inhaling the sweet, intoxicating scent of her skin. "But only for you, baby doll. I want no one else. You are mine, tesoro mio. Just as completely as I am yours."
"Why should I trust you?" Fleur blurted out, the raw vulnerability escaping her lips before she could rein it in. She bit her lower lip, a sudden rush of crimson staining her cheeks as she realized she had let her guard down. "What if you’re just playing games with me again? What if it’s all a lie?"
"Look into my eyes," he commanded softly, his gaze pinning hers with an intensity that pierced straight through to her soul. "Do you see room for anyone else in there?"
Fleur’s lips parted in a soft gasp. She stared, momentarily hypnotized, seeing nothing but her own reflection shining back in his burning eyes.
Before she could pull away, Christian took her hand and pressed it flat against his chest, right over the heavy, thudding rhythm of his heart.
"Feel it, Fleur. It beats only for you."
As he held her hands, his eyes instinctively flicked down to her fingers, searching for the flash of metal he had seen on the television screen earlier. He had already resolved to tear Raphael’s ring off her finger himself and fling it into the nearest gutter.
To his absolute shock, the movie star’s ring was entirely missing.
"You aren’t wearing it...?" he mumbled, his mind racing.
"Because unlike you, Mr. Wayne, I actually honor my word," Fleur taunted fiercely, though her heart was hammering against her ribs. "We made a deal. I couldn’t accept Raphael’s proposal in good conscience while bound to you."
A profound sense of pride swelled within Christian’s chest, silencing his inner beast’s anxious pacing.
She wasn’t unfaithful. She was the most loyal, honorable partner a man—a wolf—could ever dream of protecting. How had he been blessed with such luck? A slow, arrogant smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I have never cheated on you. Please, believe me," he murmured, his voice dropping to a gravelly entreaty.
"Give me one good reason why I should," Fleur challenged, masking her trembling emotions with a mocking scoff.
Christian didn’t answer with words. Instead, he cradled her jaw in his large hands once more, tilting her face up as he hovered a mere inch from her lips.
He offered her a devastatingly handsome smile, and Fleur felt her breath catch. The sheer, overwhelming proximity of this powerful alpha man made the room spin. He possessed a terrifying ability to make her lose her mind, shattering every defense she spent years building.
"Because I love you, and only you, amore," Christian confessed, the raw emotion vibrating in his chest. "I have loved you from the start, and I will love you until the ground claims my last breath."
A swarm of butterflies erupted in Fleur’s stomach. Hearing this ruthless, unyielding man bare his soul so completely made her heart feel dangerously full. Yet, the stubborn protective walls around her heart refused to crumble so easily. She forced a skeptical look, determined to push him just a little further.
"You expect me to believe that?" She reached down, grabbing his left hand and lifting it between them, pointing accusingly at the band of platinum resting securely on his finger. "If you love me so much, why are you still wearing your wedding ring?"
Christian’s smile turned profoundly genuine, softening the harsh lines of his face. "Because I love my wife. I love you, baby."
Fleur froze, the world tilting on its axis as shock paralyzed her.
Had he figured it out? Had he recognized her? No, it was impossible. The entire world, including Christian, believed Odette had perished in a horrific plane crash years ago.
Panic and heartbreak warred in her chest. He couldn’t know. He was just projecting his grief onto a convenient lookalike.
"So..." Fleur swallowed past the lump in her throat, a hopeless sigh escaping her lips. "You only love me because I look exactly like your dead wife."
"No, I love you because—" Christian began, his brow furrowing as he tried to correct her.
"Why won’t you understand, Christian?" Fleur interrupted, the words pouring out of her in a desperate, frustrated torrent. "Love isn’t something you can just force because a face matches a memory! It’s a connection of the soul, a bond between hearts. It doesn’t just happen because someone looks familiar. You’re confusing nostalgia with—"
Every argument she threw up only deepened the frustration burning in Christian’s chest. Every time he laid his soul bare, she built the wall higher. He was done talking. His wolf demanded to silence the doubts plaguing his mate.
"You talk way too much, my love," Christian groaned.
Before she could utter another syllable, he leaned down and crushed his lips against hers, silencing her protests with a deep, possessive kiss that claimed her entire soul.
Comments